PARA-CYCLING PRESS

Following a very successful performance in Matane, Canada, in the final event of the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup series, the action for the South African Para-cycling team moved to the Canadian town of Baie-Comeau for the 2013 Para-cycling Road World Championships.

Day 1 (29 August) saw the South African tricyclists Yusthin Lintnaar and George Rex perform well in their time trial events. This is the first season of international competition for both riders.

Lintnaar finished in 6th place behind a seasoned field of Paralympian riders and previous World Cup and World Championship medallists. At the halfway point of the race Rex was lying in 2nd place, fractionally behind the defending Spanish World Champion. As the race progressed, and the technical challenges of the route surfaced, Rex slipped to 3rd place however, finishing 37 seconds behind the winner Aitor Oroza Flores.

South African reclining hand-cyclist Stuart McCreadie rode the race of his life in the time trial, with a personal best finish in 4thplace. This performance equals his World Cup achievement of the previous week when he finished a personal best 4th place in the road race. McCreadie’s hand-cyclist colleague Justine Asher, riding in her first World Championships, rode a brave time trial under very difficult conditions attributable to mechanical problems with her bike. With the support of the Team Mechanic, Pieter Jansen, her road race is expected to be a much better experience.

Top performer of the day was defending road race World Champion Ernst van Dyk who, rewarded by a silver medal, acknowledged that he rode one of the best time trial races of his life. Van Dyk, who is recognised more for his road racing than time trial skills, had set his sights on a World Championship time trial medal – and achieved this in magnificent fashion. He was beaten only narrowly by Paralympian gold medallist Alessandro Zanardi in a race that was considerably tenser than the previous week’s World Cup series final in which Van Dyk failed to achieve a podium finish. Clearly, van Dyk thrives on the adrenaline triggered by a technically challenging route.

Day 2 saw Roxy Burns compete in the C4 Time Trial, where she finished 7th in amongst a star-studded women’s field. Burns’ focus is predominantly on the track, and the road season has helped keep her performance consistently high throughout the year.

With two more days of the World Championships to run their course, the South African team is confident that a few more medals will be returning home with them following the road races that are now scheduled.

Cycling South Africa

Cycling South Africa is the governing body of cycling in South Africa and is a member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). It is affiliated to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) as well as the Department of Sport & Recreation. Cycling South Africa regulates the five major disciplines within the sport, both amateur and professional, which include: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking, BMX Biking, Track Cycling and Para-Cycling. Cycling South Africa’s “2020 Vision” strategy, to cater for both the elite cyclist as well as the everyday two- and three-wheel lovers, contributes to the organisation being a dynamic, successful and highly respected governing body of cycling, at both National and International level. Cycling South Africa is committed to transformation and development of the sport and making it accessible to all via its development programmes.